big church (does size matter?)

Yeah, I guess I'm pretty happy with my church's size. It seems there's always someone that God has richly blessed to my left, to my right, and all around. There's typically a message in the air that is either challenging or comforting, and fellowship happens all the time. I get to celebrate God, talk about him freely, share the blessings and the joy, and live out my freedom in Christ is so many ways. I get to express, without a word, the fruits of the Spirit, and when I stumble, I know right away, because He is right there with me. I even get to see folks who never met Him yet, and hope to make the introduction as the Lord directs the time and my words (if I keep still and LISTEN...!)

And, yup, all of this happens Monday through Friday, and sometimes Saturdays..! (but I rest up on Sundays). And, of course, on Sundays my family and I fellowship with friends, new and old, and celebrate the Love of Christ we were all so priveleged to live in all week long. And, just maybe, we'll pick up some "new" wisdom from our pastor to apply to our lives, and pass along too.

Guess it's fair to say that all our churches are as "big" as we want them to be, Monday thru Saturday, and it all depends how much we serve, unconditionally, to everyone around us all week, because I think that's what Jesus meant us to be for Him... That, to me, "the seven day deal", is the church... life to the fullest!

Answers

Last night I was talking to the Lord, but said nothing of my anxieties that, frankly, I was in denial about. It seems, in retrospect, that I thought I had enough faith to handle just about anything. So I kept my fears to myself and went ahead to pray for things like prosperity and health issues and the continued blessings that flow so abundantly from Him all the time. And then the download hit me. I was, deep inside, really thinking that He wasn't blessing me or answering me but my cheerfulness and martyrish ongoing was covering what would otherwise appear to be a lack of faith... In a prideful way... As I continued to take in just what God had to say to me in that moment it became very clear: I was praying out of order...

The message was clear: He said, "Everything's under control, and I have been answering your prayers, but you need to have faith. You need to grow. The answers are just flying over your head because you're not really ready for them. Grow in faith and then you will understand"...

I didn't hear an audible voice, but I didn't have to. It was like the message was unpacked in a way I could understand it, in a flash. And it was comforting. I understand it. And it's true. So I pray for Him to help me grow in faith, and instantly, the answer is, "I will"...